Quantification of perforant path fiber degeneration using ex vivo 11.7T MRI along severities of neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex

Motivation: Degeneration of perforant path fibers is crucial in the process of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis as it is functionally related to memory deterioration. Goal(s): This study aims to test whether the degeneration of perforant path fibers quantified by 11.7T MRI ex vivo is associated with neuropathological changes along the AD continuum. Approach: Twenty postmortem brain tissues were scanned with 11.7T MRI for three-dimensional T2-weighted imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and tractography, and were cut for subsequent histological examinations of AD pathology. Results: Greater degeneration of perforant path fibers was observed in the group of higher severity of neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex. Impact: Myeloarchitectonic features of the perforant pathway, identified using 11.7 MRI in postmortem human brain tissues, were associated with neuropathological changes along the AD continuum, reflecting neurodegeneration of early AD pathogenesis.